What about Barbie?

Good evening to you all! I hope you have enjoyed my posts on the history of dolls. I liked reading about the universe of dolls, which allowed me to better position myself as a doll artist. At the end of this post, you will find some references at the end of the page for those who are interested. However, I believe that many of you might be a little disappointed, in the fact, that I did not talk enough about the famous Barbie doll. In fact, I had no intention of talking about her in my posts. I wanted to give more space to talented independent artists and innovative companies of the present, but also of the past and to generally explain the history of dolls. On the other hand, it would be shameful not to admit that the history of Barbie’s in terms of numbers are impressive and it is on this note that I will talk about her.

The little story of Barbie

Whether we like to admit it or not, Barbie was born from a copy of the German doll, Bild Lilli. This doll was created in the early 1950s and was presented at a fair in Munich. After the departure of their associate, Mr. Mattson, the Handler couple, Elliot “the creative” and Ruth “the commercial”, quickly impose Mattel as the #1 toymaker leader in the United States, but also abroad.

At that time, Ruth toured Europe looking for ideas and contracts. It is said that on a trip to Germany that she discovered in 1955 a very popular cartoon character: Lilli. This Lilli was designed initially as a character by the German daily Bild Zeitung and became a doll for adults. It is said that when she saw her daughter playing with cardboard figurines which she dressed, that Ruth Handler had the idea of creating a three-dimensional doll in which girls could projected themselves: a doll with real clothing and accessories. Her fine and slender silhouette was developed by the famous designer Jack Ryan.

Barbie in numbers

-According to the Chicago Tribune, it is estimated that there are in the United States more than 100,000 serious Barbie doll collectors.

-45% of them annually spend $ 1000 for their dolls

-85% are women in their 40s.

-Each collector has on average 20 Barbie dolls.

-¾ of them see it, as an excellent source of investment, especially when it comes to vintage dolls for the period (1959-1970).